I’m New to Coffee…Now What?

I only started drinking coffee about 18 months ago.

Yes, I am the president of a coffee company. Yes, I know that sounds crazy. Yes, I still think you should hear what I have to say (and drink our coffee!) First off, my lack of bean expertise led our team to one of the best decisions in our young history – partnering with Rootless Coffee in Flint (check them out here at https://rootlesscoffee.com/!). They don’t just source and roast our beans, they are coffee wizards through and through. But here is the thing – I think my lack of knowledge is a good thing. Let explain.

For as long I can remember, I have loved the smell of coffee. I have many fond memories of waking up on Saturday mornings to the scent of my father’s coffee wafting through the house. The smell conjures up joy within me and a fondness of home. At one point, I desired to make my father’s coffee for him. I would heap two scoops of Maxwell House Master Blend grounds into the coffee filter sitting in the top of the drip brew coffee pot. I would then pour it into my father’s favorite mug about 90% full, add some cream and sugar and then stir. As a kid, the stirring was my favorite. I always tried to stir fast enough to make a little vortex in the middle of the mug without clanging the spoon along the walls. The smell is still intoxicating to me. Even now, I love opening the cabinet in my kitchen where I keep some beans just so I can smell them.

I may be new in the big-time coffee game, but coffee has woven its way through my life – the smell surrounding me as a study in the one Starbucks by my university, the cold cup in my hand as I deliver a treat to my wife, the hiss of an espresso machine as I watch baristas craft works of edible art. With so much history between me and this at times complicated beverage, I decided to start drinking it. Quickly I began to feel like a coffee snob.

But contrary to popular belief, quality coffee is not something that we need to be snobby about. As I dipped my toe into coffee culture, I found that I was not just able to discern what tastes I liked or disliked, but I could also recognize quality of ingredients and craft. These beans are over-roasted. There is not enough oat milk in here (sorry guys, I’m lactose intolerant.) or this isn’t very good oat milk! These beans are sour – and they shouldn’t be. All of this has come in less than two years and my moderately consistent tasting of different coffees.

I am not saying I have a refined java palette (we have better team members for that), but I am saying that you do not have to settle for either being a coffee snob or just drinking whatever almost-burnt consistency Starbucks wants to throw at you. You can expect high quality coffee and still be chill about it. I promise, it is possible! Even better, we want you to learn what good coffee is with us. Whether it is asking your barista about the bean sourcing, the way the drink is made or what a cortado is, we want to help you. Embers Coffee will even be offering coffee tasting and community barista nights for you to get closer to the drinks that you love.

You don’t need to have crazy coffee experience to enjoy what we have to offer. If you do, that’s great! We are up to the challenge. But you can be like me, up for an adventure filled with cups, caffeine and lots of delicious sips.